Like Always
by animearia
Summary: In which Yuri and Otabek have developed a certain...bedtime habit that Yuri enjoys very, very much. *wink wink* No, but seriously this is 100% 'it could be cotton candy, it's so fluffy and sweet' kinda fluff!


_**A/N: So, I was scrolling my way through the YOI tag on Tumblr, as you do, when I spotted this adorable AF little head canon, crying out to be fic'd. I can't find the Tumblr user who shared it, to share this with them, but I hope it finds its way to them, and I hope they like it as I'm fairly sure they said it was their favourite! Enjoooooyyy!**_

Otabek and Yuri hadn't been living together long, but it was long enough to develop certain habits, and there was one habit in particular that Yuri was quite fond of. He looked forward to it every night, and it never failed to send him off in to an easy sleep, feeling safe and secure….and _loved_. A feeling Yuri didn't have much experience with, at least not in this sense.

Yuri's grandpa loved him, sure, but like Yuri, his grandpa had struggled to show outward signs of affection. A hug was rare. So very rare. Not that he minded, his grandpa had after all, taken care of him when his mother had abandoned him, and he knew how much his grandpa loved him. He would always make Yuri's favourite food, piroshki's when he was upset, or wasn't feeling well and when Yuri had started competitive skating it had become a tradition for his grandpa to make them for him to eat before, it hadn't been as frequent since he'd moved to , but his grandpa followed tradition whenever he could. Yes his grandpa loved him, but his grandpa was family. On some level, Yuri felt like his grandpa had to. Especially after his daughter had essentially kicked him to the curb and forgotten his entire existence. He'd been lucky that his grandpa had loved him enough to take care of him, to give him a home, to support him in his skating.

But Yuri had never felt truly loved... _cherished_ , by another person before. Until Otabek. Otabek had no obligation to love Yuri, but somehow he just did, and their bed time habit served as a reminder for Yuri of just how much Otabek loved him. It was such a small thing. It wasn't a big, grand gesture. It was just a small way he showed his love and Yuri cherished it like nothing else.

* * *

As usual, Otabek had gone to get ready for bed first, while Yuri was still playing his video game in between scrolling through his Instagram. _He treats that thing like it's his newspaper._ Otabek shook his head fondly before disappearing in to the bathroom. In no time at all, Otabek was settled in to their bed, book in hand, waiting for Yuri to come to bed. There hadn't been a night yet when Otabek had managed to stay awake long enough for Yuri to join him, he'd always ended up falling asleep first.

Otabek had always been a night owl, but as it had turned out…he had nothing on Yuri. He didn't know how he managed to have so much energy for practice every morning considering the little sleep he ended up getting. Otabek disappeared in to his book, occasionally peeking his head up to check the time….and the distinct lack of Yuri. It had been over an hour when the words on the page started to blur in front of his eyes and no amount of rubbing would make it stop. A yawn cracked his jaw. _Damn it. One night Yuratchka._ Otabek sighed. He couldn't force himself to stay awake any longer. He never could, no matter how hard he tried.

"I'm going to sleep…." Otabek called to his boyfriend, leadingly. _This is the part where you finally decide to go to bed at the same time as me. The part where we snuggle for a moment or two…and then fall asleep. Together._

"Okay, see you in the morning" Yuri called back. Otabek sighed and rolled his eyes. _Well, I knew that was coming._

"I love you" he called again.

"I love you too" Yuri called back.

 _I know, Yuratchka, that's why I let this carry on._ Otabek thought to himself.

Oh he knew exactly why Yuri always made sure he was the last of the two to bed. If he'd known doing it that first time would have touched Yuri so much that the man would make it a habit he wouldn't have done it.

Oh who was he kidding? Of course he still would have done it. He knew all about Yuri's life. His mother. His feelings of abandonment. Otabek knew Yuri's grandpa loved him dearly, but...well... _he didn't come by his attitude on his own_. If Yuri wanted this one moment, if it made him happy…Otabek would carry on allowing him to come to bed late.

He'd been sorely tempted to force the Russian to come to bed at the same time as him, but he knew it would upset him and Otabek couldn't bear to see an upset Yuri. Let alone be the one that caused the upset. This one, seemingly insignificant moment among many moments they shared throughout the day, gave Yuri a sense of comfort and security like nothing else. Otabek couldn't take that away from him. He loved him after all. _With all my heart._

* * *

Yuri scrolled through Instagram one last time, scratching the ears of his cat who'd perched in his lap at some point during the evening. He let out a yawn as he scrolled past photo after photo, checking in to see what everyone was up to, putting off the moment as long as possible. Just to make sure. He paused at a certain photo...one of he and Otabek. One of he and Otabek that would have been impossible for either of them to take. He felt his eye twitch. He didn't want to know how his fan club had gotten a photo of he and Otabek on their date yesterday…but there it was. He studied it, and felt the annoyance slowly flow away as he remembered the moment.

He and Otabek had been to dinner, and it had been raining. Yuri had insisted he was fine, he had his ever present hoody after all and had merely flicked it up at the first sign of water. But Otabek had been worried about Yuri catching a chill again, he'd only recently recovered from a nasty cold. Otabek had grabbed him by the arm, pulling him under the umbrella he'd brought along when it had looked like rain before they left. But Otabek had never let go of his arm. Instead he'd held the umbrella over the both of them with one hand, while his other arm was wrapped around Yuri's. Keeping him as close to Otabek as possible as the two had walked the short distance back to their apartment.

He supposed he should be grateful, his fan club rabid, and occasionally creepy, as they could be...sometimes provided him with photos of he and Otabek that he found he liked. That he wouldn't have if it wasn't for them. Yuri used Instagram to keep up with people, with…..friends. He didn't use it as much as everyone else although he certainly used it more than Yuuri. _Does pork cutlet bowl even know how to use Instagram?_ Yuri wondered. Either way, he didn't think too much about taking photos. Sure he had photos of he and Otabek, they took selfies together all the time and sometimes Mila would take a photo of the two of them in practice or when they all went out together, whether they where paying attention or not.

But his fan club seemed to always spring up everywhere he was, even when they shouldn't be there, which ended up with him having an endless wealth of candid photos to document his time and memories with Otabek. He liked the photo, and made a mental note to check the fan clubs Twitter in the morning. They always shared the photos there, which allowed him to save them to his computer. Then all he had to do was press print, and add the new photo to his album. _I really should be nicer to them. Maybe get them a gift. I wonder what they'd like?_ He thought, before shuddering at the possibilities.

He yawned again, before putting his phone away and carefully placing his cat on the floor, giving it one last scratch as it twined around his legs. Stretching Yuri wandered towards the bedroom he shared with Otabek, flicking out lights as he went. He paused at the bedroom door, peering in to the dark room. The light from the moon spilled across the bed, illuminating Otabek, curled on his side, facing the door and Yuri's side of the bed. Yuri held his breath, listening. Just to make sure…. _there._

He could hear Otabeks steady breathing, the occasional near snore he would make when he was truly asleep and he smiled at the sound. He padded quietly in to the bedroom, then quickly shucked off his shirt and pants, trying to make as little noise as possible, before moving towards the bed. He could feel how tense he was, there was always the worry that this would be the night it didn't happen. That Otabek wouldn't do…. _that_. Yuri shook his head. _Don't be so ridiculous_. He carefully tugged the covers back and started to get in to bed….

"Come here" Otabek whispered sleepily, like always, and Yuri turned his head to see Otabeks' arm stretched out towards him ….like always. Yuri smiled, feeling the tension release as warmth filled him and he relaxed properly for the first time all day. Yuri climbed carefully in to the bed and then scooted over to Otabek. He snuggled his face in to his boyfriends chest. The arm Otabek had been holding out towards him, lowered and wrapped around him, his other arm coming around him shortly after until Yuri was wrapped up in Otabeks warm, strong arms, revelling in the hug.

He sighed happily, snuggling his face further in, breathing in Otabeks scent and hugging him back tightly. He felt the light pressure of Otabeks lips on his forehead as his boyfriend sleepily gave him a quick, comforting kiss, like always, before Yuri fell in to a comfortable sleep, a small smile on his face. Safe and secure and loved in Otabeks arms. _Like always._


End file.
